Wichita Falls police: Teen torched stolen pickup to hide his fingerprints

A 19-year-old admitted stealing a pickup and setting it on fire so police would not find his fingerprints on it, court documents showed. 

Zachary Jacob Cole of Wichita Falls has been accused of arson, stealing two vehicles and hindering the apprehension of his sister's boyfriend, who is suspected of stealing a gun, according to court records.

Cole was free Tuesday from Wichita County Jail on $18,000 in bonds, according to online jail records. 

He faces up to 16 years imprisonment if convicted of multiple felonies, including two charges of theft of a motor vehicle valued at $2,500 up to $30,000, arson and hindering apprehension. 

Arrest warrant affidavits gave this account: About 3:30 a.m. Sept. 18, Wichita Falls police and firefighters were dispatched to an explosion call.

They found a silver 2010 Ford F-150 engulfed in flames in a wheat field near the intersection of Professional Drive and Crestview. Firefighters extinguished the flames.

About 8 a.m., the vehicle was reported stolen from a residence. 

On Sept. 19, Cole came to the front desk at the Wichita Falls Police Department to turn himself in for setting a pickup on fire. 

Cole told an investigator he doused the truck with gasoline and described the location where it was found. But he would not disclose who stole it. 

On Sept. 20, Cole called the investigator and told him he wanted to make another statement.

He admitted he took the truck and burned it to prevent his fingerprints being found. Cole provided information corroborating his story and the victim's account. 

During the same interview, Cole admitted to stealing a 2007 white Nissan Pathfinder valued at $7,500. 

He had details about the SUV, the neighborhood he took it from, where the keys were and where he left the vehicle. His information corroborated the victim's report. 

The Pathfinder had been reported stolen at 6:15 a.m. Sept. 17 from a home in the 2400 block of Merrimac Drive.

The victim told police he had left it parked under a carport behind his residence at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 16 and woke up the next morning to find it gone. 

On Oct. 16, a Wichita County grand jury indicted Cole on a charge of hindering prosecution, according to court records. 

A probable cause affidavit gave this account: At 1:34 p.m. July 1, an officer went to the 2700 block of Lebanon Road to serve a felony warrant on Bryton Andrew Upchurch, 22, of Wichita Falls.  

The officer told Cole he was looking for Upchurch, who was suspected of stealing a gun. 

"I don't know him," Cole told the cop. "He doesn't live here." The officer asked him again if he knew Upchurch. Cole said, "No."

Then the officer told Cole that he knew Upchurch was dating his sister.

Cole looked at the officer and said, "OK, and?" The officer again told Cole he had a warrant for Upchurch and asked if he was in the home.

"I'm going inside now," Cole said. The officer believed he was going in to warn Upchurch police were looking for him, and Cole might have tried to have Upchurch get the stolen gun.

So the officer detained Cole for safety. Cole's sister answered the door. When he asked where Upchurch was, she inclined her head to signal his location.

The officer found Upchurch in the back bedroom and arrested him.

On Aug. 26, a Wichita County grand jury indicted Upchurch on one count of theft of a firearm in connection with a June 7 incident, according to court records.

If convicted, he faces up to two years in state jail. 

Upchurch was free Tuesday from Wichita County Jail on a $2,500 bond, according to online jail records. 

Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news, politics and more. She loves getting news tips. If you have a good one, contact Trish at tchoate@gannett.com. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia.